Medical regulation represents an essential tool for emergency medical assistance. Even if it is essentially based on a 1964 law, our medical regulation is constantly evolving to meet the present needs and ... [more ▼]

Medical regulation represents an essential tool for emergency medical assistance. Even if it is essentially based on a 1964 law, our medical regulation is constantly evolving to meet the present needs and to follow the medical and technological advances. In this article, we shall outline its major components and evoke some long-awaited developments in the field of public health. [less ▲]

Aims Primary pre-hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) interventions may play a role in timely reperfusion therapy for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We ... [more ▼]

Aims Primary pre-hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) interventions may play a role in timely reperfusion therapy for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We designed a prospective study involving patients with acute myocardial infarction aimed at the evaluation of the potential benefit of such primary HEMS interventions as compared with classical EMS ground transport. Methods & results This prospective study was conducted from July 1, 2007 to June 15, 2012. Successive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) eligible for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included. Simulated ground-based access times were computed using a digital cartographic program, allowing the estimation of healthcare system delay from call to admission to the catheterisation laboratory. During the study period, 4485 patients benefited from HEMS activations. Of these patients, 342 (8%) suffering from STEMI were transferred for primary PCI. Median primary response time time was 11 min (IQR: 8 - 14 min) using the helicopter and 32 min (25 – 44 min) using road transport. Median transport time using HEMS was 12 min (9 – 15 min) and 50 min (36 – 56 min) by road. The median system delay using HEMS was 52 min (45 – 60 min), while this time was 110 min (95 – 126 min) by road. Finally, the system delay median gain was 60 min (47 – 72 min). Conclusions Using HEMS in a rural region allows STEMI patients to benefit from appropriate rescue care with similar delays as those seen in urban patients. [less ▲]